China's Official Manufacturing PMI Inches Up

April's Official PMI Rises to 50.4, From March's 50.3

BEIJING—A gauge of China's manufacturing activity picked up slightly in April, suggesting the economy could be improving after a bad start to the year.

The official purchasing managers' index ticked up a notch to 50.4 last month, compared with 50.3 in March, where any number above 50 indicates expansion, China's National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. The result was in line with the median forecast of 11 economists polled earlier...